


Not Ariel

by himitsutsubasa



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe, F/F, M/M, Mermaids
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-09-12
Updated: 2014-09-12
Packaged: 2018-02-17 01:38:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,500
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2292170
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/himitsutsubasa/pseuds/himitsutsubasa
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Peter is a mermaid.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Not Ariel

**Author's Note:**

> This is a really messy not!fic. I'll rewrite with better stuff.  
> Original posting:  
> http://himitsutsubasa.tumblr.com/post/97263515877/

Peter swims under the water, late to meeting. When he arrives, the kids are listening to Talia talk about how they are safe, sort of, as fresh water mefolk. The ocean merfolk, like Erica (selkie), Boyd (merman), and Isaac (kelpie), they have adopted are to be accepted and treated with the up most respect because the others are losing their homes.

"I don’t see why they can’t go elsewhere, Beacon Lake is hardly large enough for all of us." 

Talia shakes her head as she finally notices Peter’s presence. “Peter, you have to understand. They are children without families. They need us.”

"And we need fewer people around." Peter scrapes his claws against the stone. "The Argent’s are here."

The kids gasp because they have heard of the Argent’s, ex-whalers who killed merfolk without discrimination for their armor of pelts or all-healing flesh. Talia fixes him to the spot with a glare.

"We are talking about his on land."

She turns to Laura. “Stay with the kids. Make sure they’re safe.”

=

When they walk out of the water, the droplets glistening over human legs, they start discussing what to do with the Argent’s. Peter sighted two of them, Gerard and Kate, though he overheard that there was one more. 

"What’s his name?"

"Chris, according to Kate."

Peter dresses in loose clothes and Talia waits for the air to dry her hair before she puts on more than a tank top. “We need a plan.”

"How about keep them as far away from us as we can?"

"That won’t work Peter. If we actively avoid them, they will know we’re the ones they’re looking for."

"How about they know already?" Peter growls. "We own a lake and a beach, Talia. We have an agreement that no one disturbs either of them. We advocate for the preservation of the oceans at least four times a year. I have a degree in marine biology and several articles in the news paper. We are not inconspicuous."

"We need to find a way to make peace. Which one seems the calmest?"

"We don’t know. Gerard has a reputation. Kate is his daughter and Chris is his son. There is some genetic predisposition to evil as far as I’m aware."

"Just like there is a predisposition to standing up to me?"

"Derek at it again?"

Talia sighs as she runs her fingers through her hair. They begin picking their way down the shore. “I miss when he was a tadpole.”

Peter, thinking about how his nephew never quite recovered after his girlfriend drowned while sailing with her family in Australia, sighs. “We need to tell him. If rumor is right, Kate might try to go for him.”

"She’s done that before?"

Peter inhales, drawing strength to recount his research. “She’s skewered a boy and left his body hanging from a tree.”

"Oh, suns."

"Patrick had to throw up when he saw the photos." Patrick was the only human of them, the only one to not sprout fins whenever he wanted to. He was very good at spells however.

Talia looks over the water, where her children and husband hide for now. “I’m calling a meeting, for the next high tide. We need to discuss this.”

"I’ll scout out which one we can talk to."

"Peter."

"Yes?"

"Be careful."

=

Peter follows the Argent’s around, careful to watch them from a distance, not making ripples like he was taught by his father years ago. Those lesson came from the time the Hale merfolk lived in the water, before the oceans became too polluted for their magic to thrive.

One catches his eye, Chris Argent. He is much older than Kate, and Peter guessed he would be more like his father, but there must be something about recessive genes and inbreeding, which the Argent’s are known for, because Chris is showing a dominant gene of human kindness. 

Peter can’t believe his ears as he sticks his fingers in the hose outside the Argent House, and feels his way through the water ways to their toilet. He can faintly hear Chris Argent telling Kate that they should leave the Hale’s alone, that wasn’t the kid strung up in Louisiana a sign that fishers were going too far?  

Kate snarls back at Chris with a ferocity Peter associates with were-jaguars and the other beasts that stalked Beacon Hills when it was a magical haven. 

Chris growls back, more wolf than man, Peter thinks, and stalks out of the house. Peter barely ducks behind a trash can in time to avoid the bottle thrown into the shadows. The glass breaks and Peter can smell the putrid scent of beer. 

He ends up following Chris because Kate is obviously the lost cause. He’s sure Chris doesn’t know he’s following until the man slams him up against a wall, gun in hand, asking why a kid is following him around.

"I’m twenty five."

"You’re a kid to me."

Peter stares into eyes as blue as the lake water in the morning and he almost loses himself. He can’t lose himself. Peter shakes his head, brushing away the urge to press his lips to Chris’ and breathe his air like mates do, because his man has a daughter and a wife and Peter was that man once, but he isn’t now.

"It’s a dare, okay?" He presses his luck that Chris only saw him after they left the diner. Peter hopes that the Argent’s don’t know who he is, or at least know his face. He can’t use his voice after all, Argent’s are the best because they are immune, though Maybe Chris didn’t get that gene either. “I told a few friends you’re hot and they dared me to ask you out.”

He looks down, or at least attempts to, at the gun pressed under his chin. “I guess you’re not interested? Please put that away. I won’t tell anyone.”

Chris sighs and puts the gun away. “I’m a licensed arms dealer.”

Peter eyes the gun. “I suppose it’s a bad thing I’m attracted to that.”

"You’re an idiot. Get out of here, kid."

"I owe my friends money, you son of a gun." He loves the sound of Chris’ chuckle. 

=

"You again."

Peter should be at the meeting because he is Chris’ representative, but he’s not. He’s watching the hunter eat curly fries and listening distantly to the deputy’s kid berate the sheriff for ordering a double cheeseburger. Chris takes the seat next to Peter and a milkshake arrives with a note that the fries should be along soon.

 ”Yes, me again.” Peter leans against the bar, running his fingers over the rim of his glass, as it sings high and sharp for him. 

"That’s kind of annoying." Chris sips his milkshake and Peter is not surprised the man got a vanilla. It seems that other than being a hunter and a little adventurous in bed if the phone call to his wife was any indication, Chris is a rather normal guy surrounded by a family of crazy.

"I know." But it sounds like Talia’s singing voice and Peter can’t imagine anything better to listen to at the moment his heart breaks.

"I never got your name."

"I never got your number."

The man smirks. “I’m Chris Argent.”

"My numbers (510) 555- 3947." Peter laughs as Chris’ eyes widen.

"I didn’t think you were serious."

"I followed you into a dark alley. Of course, I was serious." Peter thinks back to his stupid mistake and regrets putting himself on the Argent radar as the fries arrive. "Stupid, but serious."

"I still don’t have your name." Chris starts eating as Peter picks apart his pie slice, desire to eat it gone.

"Peter."

"No last name?"

"You’re going to have to work for that."

Chris’s phone trills and Chris looks down at it. He smiles shyly. “I have to take this.”

Peter waved his hand, glancing over at the kid ordering a chocolate milkshake with twenty cherries. He misses when he was young enough to do that. “Be warned. I might not be here when you get back.”

Chris glances over at the Deputy, who is ruffling his kid’s buzzed hair. He turns back to Peter and dares to smirk. “I think you’ll stay right here for me.”

"Right." Peter glances down at he ring on Chris’ hand and looks back to his drink.

Chris flushes and leaves. Peter continues drinking his water and nibbling on his pie. He can hear Chris when he strains, using the spell Patrick dug up for him to peek in on the conversation.

"Don’t do it, Kate."

"I love you but I can’t let you do that."

"At least think about it first."

"I don’t believe you, but I trust you." Peter wants to scoff at that because if he knew Kate’s true nature, he would choke on his words.

Chris comes back and Peter has to commend him for not taking off his ring. Chris sits on the stool next to him and Peter pulls himself up-right instead of hunched over his slice.

"How about I buy us both ice cream?"

"Ice cream?" Peter forces out a chuckle. "If I didn’t know better, I would say you’re trying force me into your big, white van."

"I don’t know. You look young enough."

The deputy calls out and the pair turn to face him. “Hale, is everything alright over there?”

"Lovely, Deputy." Peter waves over the waitress and hands her a five with instructions to send two slices of apple a la mode to the deputy’s table. He tries to avoid Chris’ eyes as the man stares at him.

"Peter Hale? Marine Biologist?"

"More like Hale heir, but yeah."

"Your family really like water." Of course, Peter thinks bitterly.

"Yeah."

"It would be awful if something happened to your lake."

Peter stands, placing a twenty down to cover their food. “I think I’ll take my leave.”

A hand snakes out and grabs his arm. “I mean that something will happen to your lake.”

Peter turns back, eyes tracing the lines of Chris’ face.

"Hale?" Peter ignores the deputy.

"What do you mean?"

Chris swallows, turning away. “Kate.”

Oh god. A hand pries Chris’ off his arm. “Hale?”

The deputy cradles Peter’s face in his hands, trying to see into Peter’s eyes. Peter can feel the notes bubbling in his throat, ready to scream and drown them all. Peter gets a grip and forces the unnatural blue out of his eyes to the deputy’s gasp.

He gently remove’s the man’s hands, missing the gasp from Chris as he holds them. “I think it’s time we had a man on the inside. John, you have to drive me to the lake.”

"Why?"

"Crime." Peter puts the man’s hands down. "An entire family will die if you don’t."

"Peter?" Chris brushes past him as he heads to the door. Chris waves his keys. "I think i know where she’s going."

Peter wants to scream at Chris, to shatter his eardrums and make him scream in return. His mate, even if he isn’t his mate, should not go anywhere near the danger.

"Where?" John drags Stiles, who has finished two the two slices of pie already, along with him.

Chris pulls Peter out the door, waving at the waitress that everything is alright. “Follow me.”

=

"So you are mermaids."

"Merfolk," Patrick corrects. The deputy stares intently at Patrick’s face as the young man explains everything. The other cars from the Sheriff’s department leave, but the deputy stays to take statements.

Stiles runs out of the forest and tackles one of the older Hales. “Derek! Show me your tail!”

"No."

"Laura and Cora did. And, Erica let me handle her pelt"

"Laura and Cora are weak to kids. I am not."

"Ugh, you are such a crab."

"A what?"

"You’re a cranky crab."

Chris walks up behind Peter, who is staring at the lake. It’s not poisoned, luckily because they got there in time. That is the only thing that Peter can imagine is good about the fact he actually chose Chris over his family. “Are you okay?”

"I feel like a traitor. I should have been there."

"You would have died if you were."

"I would have died with them. I chose you, Chris, and now they all know that. I’ll be lucky if they let me participate in the meetings."

"And if you’re not?"

"I have friends in Hawaii. They’ll take me in."

Chris puts his hand on Peter’s shoulder. “I hope it all works out.”

Peter brushes the hand off. “I hope so too.”

=

Peter sends his claws through Kate’s neck and relishes in the spray of blood that splatters over his scales. 

"He’s there!" The other hunters tumble through the door. Peter winks at Stiles as the teen casts a deafening barrier around anyone good and not merfolk.

Peter screams.

=

"Hey, Peter." Lydia is a little drunk which is exactly the point because she’s getting married to Erica tomorrow and they are having a joint bachelorette party, which violates the point of a bachelorette party. "Why don’t you sing for us?"

"Lydia, you know that is a bad idea."

"No, it isn’t." Erica returns from wherever she was. She’s smacking drunk because no one ever told Peter that selkies were not supposed to have alcohol and he let her have a line of shots. "Stiles told me your scream is a weapon, like my boo’s."

She kisses Lydia and Peter is surprised Lydia lets her after the pet name.

"It makes people fall in love with me."

"Then sing for Chris why don’t you?"

"Oh, no. We are not talking about the widower." He holds his hand up to the strawberry blonde. "Tonight is about you."

Lydia pouts, actually pouts, and says, “Then you’re singing for the first dance.”

"I thought you already… You already decided I would sing…" Erica leaves taking their glasses with her.

"Yep. You’re singing that song from The Little Mermaid."

"Disney?"

"Erica likes Disney." Lydia says, watching her fiancee bring back more drinks. "There’s always a happy ending."

=

"I’d like to dedicate this song to this beautiful couple. For Lydia, the little mermaid, and Erica, her princess charming."

=

"They are half in love with you." Chris hands Peter a glass of vine and Peter fake smiles as he takes it. He goes back to staring over the water and listening to the strains of the waltzes Isaac plays on his violin.

"And you’re not."

"That wasn’t a question."

"I know."

"Peter?"

"What?"

Chris leans in, cradling Peer’s face in his hands and presses his lips to Peter’s. Peter feels the ocean tugging at his throat because he wants to sing his mate into the water, so they fan have the mother of all as their witness. He presses back, humming, singing, and praying under his breath.

"I love you," he whispers.

Chris takes his hand and walks him to the lake shore. “I love you.”


End file.
